Spicing Up Kid Favorites

Little ones are either the best or the worst food critics. They know exactly what they like and make no bones about it. Unfortunately with their ideas comes a refusal to try new or improved dishes.This limits their palates and their diet.However all it takes is some craftiness and creativity to make them change their minds.

Melissa Clark realized this with her four year old daughter. She explores her kid's diet and passion for only white foods in her New York Times Dining column A Good Appetite. Dahlia loves baked mac as any kid does along with chicken pot pie. Her mother, being more adventurous decides to spice these up. It is hard though because kids,even teen agers, have a set idea of what they want to eat. There are no variations. They like it because it is comfort food.Anything else would be blasphemy.

How does Ms. Clark change it up. With the baked mac and cheese, cheddar is replaced with creamy marscapone and the slightly sharp and biting mix of Parmesan and Reggiano cheese. For silkiness, she adds some Brie too and nutmeg for a different  flavor. Her daughter likes this, thankfully  as she does her mother's twist on chicken pot pie. This is slightly adult with the addition of white wine along with garlic, celery root and leeks. This recipe is a great one for introducing new veggies to kids. She also has another kid classic rice pudding, this made with golden raisins  and cardamon for zest.

It's tough to change anyone's tastes, especially a kid's. Yet that little tongue can be persuaded into trying new flavors by subtly changing the recipe.It may be sneaky but it's a great way of getting even the most sutbborneest and youngest food critic to eat and accept.

Tasty Easter Breads

with Easter comes an array of traditional and delicious foods. One of the oldest and and flavorful is the egg bread. This is either a braid or circle studded with brightly colored Easter eggs. usually it's the centerpiece for many a holiday table. the bread was the subject of an article by Dave Tanis in today's New York Times Dining section.The City Kitchen columnist creates the most traditional bread possible.He adds the Old World blend of currents and raisins along with dried cranberries,and almonds.for added aroma he throws in caraway and anise seeds.As for the eggs, he recommends putting them in after the dough's second rising.Braiding is pretty easy but if you're making a few, then sticks to loaves and circles. Easter bread can be a L natural too.To start with you can dye the eggs in beet juice, onion skin and turmeric for a more natural color.Instead of white flour try whole wheat flour instead. You could also vary the recipe too with honey instead of refined white sugar.Sub in more nuts in place of the raisins and currents too.There are also recipes for dairy free holiday breads too.Cinnamon is also used for flavoring instead of the dried fruit. Easter is a tome of sweet treats and old traditions.Bake a bread studded with colored eggs to celebrate this.Whether decadent or healthy it is a true holiday gift.

A Better Ham

Ham is a holiday must have, especially for Easter. It's always the highlight of the meal, with its' tender pink flesh and crispy outer skin. Yet it can be dangerous to those with health problems or for those on a diet. There are ways to create a better, ham without sacrificing the rich flavor.


Surprisingly the meat is considered healthy on its' own.It's considered a lean meat with only 190 calories a slice along with being almost fat Free.. Yet what you put on a whole ham can dramatically make it not only taste good but also turn it into a health hazard.Most cooks glaze it with a variety of sweet toppings from ginger ale to brown sugar. Let's face it ,it does add a nice contrast to the meat's inherent saltiness. Instead try glazing it with whiskey or brandy. Ninety per cent of the alcohol burns off, leaving a smoky interesting flavor. Either that or cut down on the fruit juice , honey or brown sugar.

Another way to make your Easter ham better for you is cutting down on the salt.Don't soak it with high sodium chicken broth.Presoak in water instead to leech out the excess salt. Also dont' serve it with Worcestershire salt.Think a light mayonnaise or even a low calorie mustard on the side. Serving a smaller ham where everyone receives smaller portions is another way of making a meal more nutrition friendly. That way everyone can concentrate on the yummy spring vegetables like asparagus and greens.

A holiday ham doesn;t have to be unhealthy. It can be a nutritous part of your Easter dinner along with still being the jewel of the table.It willbe not only good for you but still the alluring centerpiece everyone looks forward to eating.

Healthy Easter Fun

With Easter comes the usual treats, most often Peeps and chocolate eggs along with jelly beans. These are fun and colorful however they're full of refined sugar not to mention empty calories. They're only filling the plastic eggs not your little ones' tummies. What to do ,Make your Easter egg hunt healthy.

Instead of filling the eggs with candy, think fruit or even veggies. If there's no allergy problem then, think about putting in berries such as strawberries and blueberries. Blackberries can be fun too as long as their not too sour. You may want to try raspberries instead Grapes are another fun fruit to tuck into the plastic eggs. You can add one kind or two for variety. There's enough sweetness to satisfy those little sweet tooths but enough goodness to satisfy mom and dad.

Veggies are another fun item to add to eggs.Make sure, like the ,fruit, that they're organic. Try baby carrots (perfect for all those faux bunnies out there) along with broccoli and cauliflower florets. Pepper strips may dry out so try cherry or grape tomatoes instead.  Dried peas or even salty edameme can also be used for some exotic and exciting tastes.If you cna fit them, add two sorts  of veggies for fun

Make your Easter egg hunt healthy this year by subbing in fresh fruit and veggies instead of candy. The hunters will definitely benefit from this burst of natural goodness. There won't be that hyper activity and all around, everyone, including the folks will feel better.

Going To The Grain

Grains are one of the most important elements of a good diet. However not many people incorporate them into their diets. Why is a good question. They can be made into several tasty dishes that are nutritious and support our body's needs. Not only that, there is a wide variety to choose from and throw together with some veggies and meat to create a healthy lunch or supper.

Whole grains or seeds contain all the essential parts and naturally occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed,They can range from the lesser known amaranth to the ever popular wild rice. In between are the more common, corn, rye and barley along with teff, triticale  sorghum and triticale. grains can be used as fillers or even stuffing. For some such as the rices and millet, they can be incorporated  into puddings and even cakes for dessert.Grains are always a plus for any diet. You can reduce heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer along with obesity.

If you're new to cooking with whole grains then start with simple recipes. Stuffed peppers are always easy and a fun dinner treat. Stuff with rice or quinoa along with tomatoes  Quinoa can also be made into stuffing as well as tabbouleh. Try rye in soups or breads .Barley is always good in soups but it can also be used in risottos and chilis. For mores exotic dishes use the grain from North Africa , amaranth can be eaten like popcorn, or cooked like grits.Millet , another good for you grain, can be made into a light ,fluffy pilaf or baked into healthy biscuits , muffins and breads.

Discover the goodness of the different grains out there. They can be easily made into tempting and tasty dishes. Try one or two to wet your feet or all of them  for a better diet.

A Happy Healthy Cookbook

Some would think it would be hard to live on a whole grain, gluten free diet. That is farther from the truth thanks to a new cookbook. The author, , renown for her wholesome and healthy cookbooks, Jill FInlayson, has come up with a whole batch of  tasty and good for you dishes. These range from breakfast to desserts, from snacks to sides to whole meals. This is the perfect must have for those who want to eat healthy witohut giving up flavor.

The book is entitled The Complete Gluten-Free Whole Grain Cookbook by Robert Rose Publishing. It is not only a comprehensive cookbook but also a great guide for grains; Ms.Finlayson explains what grains such as millet and sorghum are along with their history. All grains, whether as unusual as Job's tears (a sort of millet) to the common (oats) also have storing tips as well as nutritional data. This helps in choosing what dishes to make as well and how healthy you want to go. She also has a few pages solely on the benefits of a gluten free diet, such as it helps protect against certain cancers as well as heart diseases.

Just when you think this is going to be a purely tasteless recipe book,think again.Ms. Finlayson has some excellent recipes for every meal. Start the day off with her hot amaranth cereal. She has pancakes,both the buckwheat type and blueberry wild rice ones. For dinner or even lunch try her turkey chili made with turkey. There are also jambalaya  along with the spicy Indian beef biryani.  She also has a brown rice risotto and a gluten free pizza crust, The desserts range from a simple brown rice pudding to   wine soaked cornmeal cake. Health food, no , healthy food and perfect for any gathering from a family dinner to party, yes,

Please go and buy this newest creation from Jill Finlayson, You'll not only kick your white flour dependency but eat much healthier too. Best of all you'll be introduced to a variety of amazing recipes that are sure to be family favorites as well as classics.

Passover:New And Traditional Foods

Passover is starting soon and with it the special recipes that have been handed down. The holiday is celebrated all over the wold and with that come international recipes.Cooks , well versed in the tradition can change It up a bit. Novice ones can fall back on the traditional but traditional with a twist.

Both Elaine Scolino and Melissa Clark touched on this yesterday in Wednesday's New York Times Dining section.Ms. Sciolino lives in Paris and creates a French styled seder for her husband (she is Sicilian and Catholic) Instead of the usual chicken fat or schmaltz she uses duck fat. The matzoh is  infused with orange and wine ,w hile the noodles are made from potato and egg. She is able to buy ground almonds because the French sell them in their marketplaces.. Here she makes ossobucco and a Sephardic Jew tradition rice (the Ashkenazis ban it completely from the Passover table.)If you;re not too much into tradition, you can try this as well.

Melissa Clark goes for the traditional by making use of Manishcwitz Wine, a jammy port like brew. The wine has been standard for generations here in the States. It is primarily used in haroseth , a loose paste  made with chopped apples, walnuts and cinnamon, She takes it  a step further with an endive salad with relatively the same ingredients. To this she adds the walnuts but coats them with a bath of egg white and cayenne mixed with the Manischewitz for bite and sweetness..

Passover seders have always relied on the traditional. However it's nice to experiment or add from other tables, It makes for an interesting meal , not to mention an interesting palate.